Giveaway: Two guides to the stock market.

Interested in the stock market? Have I got some light reading for you.

“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Stock Investing” is designed to help novices learn more about the recent market. The authors are Sarah Young Fisher (a certified financial planner) and Susan Shelly (a business writer), and their goal is to clarify the “often confusing process” of investing.

It’s paired with “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Stock Investing Fast-Track,” which offers fundamental information on picking/valuing stocks and planning a portfolio for the long term. The author, Ken Little, promises to keep the “non-essential information” to a minimum, so that would-be investors can get started faster.

If it were me, I’d read both books – and then keep looking for information. That’s because I think that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It’s your money, and you need to be clear-eyed about where you put it. But what you learn from these two books will be a good start.

Right now I am PAYING someone to handle my investments. I really should get empowered so if I continue to hire someone for this, I do it out of choice rather than out of fear. Who knows? I might get more motivated to do my own with more education.